Sherlock Holmes "Adler" Undergarments

so the first part of this ensemble needed to be the base for the costume to rest on, and be supported. A corset to support and mold the bust, as well as give the bodice a smooth surface to lay on, and give the classic shape.

for the iconic victorian "butt-pouf" as some have called it (yes, it's a technical term, i say so), a bustle was needed. The costume isn't going to be very heavy, so steel wasn't needed (or desired, for the comfort of the client). I used rigeline (woven poly boning, not the plastic see-through stuff), and heavy slipper satin in black. The ruffles over the bustle help to soften the "hump" and hide the boning lines from the skirt. They also just look cool!

part of the bustle is a detachable pad, to give the 90 degree angle from the back to the top of the bump. The cage will form a "gumdrop" kind of domed shape, the pad will help it be more of a level table top. It can be removed to help work on later period styles, or for different costumes.

and lastly, the petticoat. This is basically just a slightly full/flared skirt, with two rows of ruffles at the hem to kick out the hem of the skirt. This helps fill space between the legs and the outer skirt of the gown, adding to the bell-like shape.

overall, came out great!

Sherlock Homes "Adler" pink victorian gown project.

hi!

been a while, but here's a project i just finished up, that i thought you may like to see!

here's the pictures of the gown on Rachel McAdams, there are very few pics around, so i only have these two:

and here's the sketch of the gown as i saw it:

The client that commissioned it turned out not to have all the underpinnings that would be needed, so we made those too! For this costume, she needed a flat-fronted base corset with a curved bust, a ruffled petticoat, and a cage bustle and removable bustle pad.

I ended up finding a heavy Slipper Satin in just the right shade of "holy crap-Pink" that worked out great. It's very shiny and had a nice stiff hand, to make a well-structured bustle skirt. But what a pain to work with! even with perfectly smooth seams and hours of pressing, it still photographed with ripples and wrinkles, driving me mad!

more updates soon, i have pictures to share!